Cloth-steaming box



(No Model.)

R. J. WALKER.

CLOTH STEAVMING BOX.

Patented May 9, 1882.

,im l l l 1 l l l 1 1 l l 1 l f l www? www UNITED `STATES PATENT @EricaROBERT J. WALKER, E PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CLOTH-STEAMING BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 257,792, dated May 9,1882.

` Application filed January 12, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT J. WALKER, a citizen of the United States,residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certainImprovements in Cloth-Steaming Boxes, of which the following is aspecification. A

My invention relates to an improvement in the steaming-boxes used inconnection with ealendering and other machines for reducing fabricspassed through the box to a proper condition for being acted upon by thesaid machines; and the objects of my invention are,

- first, to prevent the spotting of the fabrics by drops of water ofcondensation in the steaming-box; second, to economizethe consumption ofsteam 5 and, third, toleconomize space.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of theordinary steamingbox used in connection with calendering-machines; Fig.2, a vertical section of a calendering-machine combined with my improvedsteaming-box Fig. 3, a perspectiveview of the steaming-box, drawn to anenlarged scale 5 and Fig.` 4, a view of one of the bearin gs of theroller in the box.

The ordinary steaming-box shown in Fig. 1 consists of a quadrangularstructure forming an inclosed chamber, to which steam is admittcdthrough a pipe, ct, near the bottom of the box, while the fabric w to hesteamed prior. tobeingcalenderedpasseshorizontallythrough slots made inthe front and rear of the box. The main objection to this steaming-boxisthe accumulation of the water of condensation on the under side of thetop of the box and the dropping of the water therefrom onto the fabric,these drops having the effect of making on the fabric spots which cannotbe removed.

In order to overcome this difficulty, I construct the box and combine itwith a calendering-machine in the manner shown in Fig. 2, A being thesteaming-box, and B the calendering-machine, which may be constructed inthe usual manner, with three rollers, d, d', and d2, the journals ofwhich are adapted to bearings in side frames, which are furnished withappliances for imparting the necessary pressure to these rollers. Thefront c and back c of the box converge Vfrom the base f to their uppertermination, where they are a short distance apart from each other, soas to present an elongated opening, through which the-fabric a; passesdownward over and ip contact with the upper edge of the front c, andupward and in contact with the upper edge of the rear c of the box, theopening in the top of the same being of j ust sufficient width to permitthe' escape of the waste-steam and prevent the contact of the descendingwith the ascending fabric.

A roller, G, round which the fabric passes, is contained within thelower portion ot' the box, and has journals adapted to suitable bearingsformed in the same. I prefer to make these bearin gs in the manner shownin F1g.4- that is, in strips h-one secured to the inner side of each endof the box, each bearin g be-4 ing at one end of a horizontal slot, i,the other end, j, of which extends vertically through the upper edge 0fthe strip. The fabric which passes round this roller is always undermore or less tension, and therefore tends to keep the journals of theroller in their hearings but in the absence ofthe fabric the journals ofthe roller can be withdrawn from their bearings and the roller removedfrom the box after first opening the door I of the same.

A steam-pipe, J, passes downward into the box and extends horizontallynear the bottom,

the horizontal portion being perforated, andl the pipe being furnishedwith a suitable cock for admitting the desired quantity of steam to thebox. As the fabric passes downward into the box and upward from theroller G, it is subj ected on both sides to the action of steam, and asthe water of condensation will dow down the converging front and rear ofthe box, there can be no dropping of water onto the fabric.

A further advantage of my improved box is the small amount of room whichit occupies compared with that which the old quadrangular box demands,and still further advantages are the large surface of fabric exposed -tothe steam, and the limited quantity of steam required to produce thedesired effect on said fabric.

In the present instance the rear of the box IOO the water ofcondensation from the bottom of the box.

Although I have shown my invention as used in connection with acalendering-machine, it will be evident that it can be used inconnection with other machines where e pre- -liminalry steaming of thefabric is advisable.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination of a. steaming-box having atthe top an elongated opening, with a pipe for admitting steam to thebox, and with e roller whereby the fabric is directed downward andupward through the said opening and in the coursedesoribed within thebox, all substantially as set forth.

2. The within-described steaming-box, havin g convergingfront and rearand an elongated openings` in the top, in combination with a roller, G,and a steam-pipe, J, substantially as described.

3. A steam-box provided with door I, roller G, and slotted bearings i j,whereby the said roller may be readily removed, all being conlbinedsubstantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

R. J. WALKER; Witnesses:

HARRY DRURY, HARRY SMITH.

